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Spring Grove freshmen get linked in on the first day of school

The district's Link Crew welcomed the class the 2017 with icebreakers, group discussions and a building tour.

By KATY PETIFORD

For the Daily Record/Sunday News

Updated:
08/22/2013 12:05:31 PM EDT

About 270 freshmen sat silently on the floor of the gymnasium at Spring Grove Area High School on Wednesday.

In silence.

Really.

As an icebreaker on their first day of school, the freshmen were split into groups and asked to organize themselves by date of birth. There was just one catch - they couldn't talk.

The activity was one of many the high school newcomers participated in during the full-day program with the school's Link Crew, a team of 70 sophomores, juniors and seniors who welcomed the younger students to high school.

Freshmen and upperclassmen pat and scratch each others backs in the opening moments of the first day of school at Spring Grove Area High School. (YORK DAILY RECORD/SUNDAY NEWS -- PAUL KUEHNEL)

Link Crew members cheered, clapped and danced as the freshman class entered the gym Monday morning. Some of the younger students looked confused by their enthusiasm, but others smiled appreciatively as they found a seat on the bleachers.

The goal of the Link Crew is to help the freshmen make new friends and provide them with a peer support group.

"You might struggle a little bit to find out exactly where you belong, but that's okay," Dan Brenner, a staff leader and chair of the school's music department, said to the group of new students. "We're going to find that space for you."

Brenner is one of three staff leaders who have been participating in the program since its inception at Spring Grove three years ago. He, along with math teacher Holly Baublitz and guidance counselor Steve Bischof, attended a four-day training session for the California-based Link Crew before bringing it back to their own district.

The program, coupled with the district's initiative that pairs ninth-graders at risk of dropping out of school with an older peer mentor, has positively affected freshman students' grades, said Lisa Smith, the district's community-relations coordinator.

Assistant principal Nate Frank, left, welcomes an excited Devin Mercer, to the first day of school at Spring Grove Area High School. (YORK DAILY RECORD/SUNDAY NEWS -- PAUL KUEHNEL)

During the past few years, ninth-graders' attendance has increased, their grades have gone up and more have been participating in clubs and organizations, Smith said.

The upperclassmen have been enthusiastic about the program since it started, with roughly the same number applying to participate each year, Baublitz said.

Link Crew members had to go through a long process before they were offered the leadership gig, she said. Each would-be student adviser had to fill out an application, go through a formal interview, and attend a May Day event where staff members could watch the students interact, Baublitz said.

Students who were accepted into the program gave up two days of their summer vacation to train for their new leadership role. They also missed classes Wednesday for the full-day event.

"Each one of these people gave up their first day to make sure your first day was a good one," Brenner said to the freshmen.

Apart from activities in the gym, Wednesday's schedule included small group discussions led by Link Crew members. The groups, each made up of 12 to 15 students, gave the ninth-graders another opportunity to meet new potential friends.

The small groups were based on the freshmen's homeroom assignments, because once or twice a month, the groups will touch base with their peer advisers, Smith said. During these meetings, the students will work together on projects and community service activities, she said.

The upperclassmen also showed the new students around the high school, pointing out the top-30 "places to know." The list includes the cafeteria, library, main office, guidance office and rooms freshman students would likely have a class in, Smith said.

To show the upperclassmen's range of interests, Brenner asked the students to raise their hand when he mentioned an activity he or she participated in. By a show of hands, the Link Crew included representatives from various sports teams, the drama club, music enthusiasts and students with part-time jobs.

One question in particular had the freshmen talking - who has a driver's license?

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